Reconnaissance
by Silence Is Not Golden
Summary: Nozaki enters the gymnasium for a little observation. His subjects are Seo and Wakamatsu. The manganka can't come up empty handed. He couldn't disappoint his Ken-san after all. He must have something for his manga. –One-shot- SeoxWaka


**Yo, what's up!**

**This one-shot takes place a little after chapter 55. Not that the context is important but I just wanted to set up where the story is in terms of the manga.**

...

Nozaki Umetarou glances at his phone. He receives a text. "Ken-san!" His dark eyes lights up and jubilantly flips up his cell phone to read the message.

"_**I forwarded you an email. Take a look at it."**_

Rushing for his laptop, he signs in on his email account and browses the recent message his magnificent editor had sent him. "Ahh there it is." Important in bold capital letters is written on the subject title. Wondering about the contents of this message, the mangaka innocently opens it.

_**Nozaki,**_

_**I want you to peruse these forums. Your side characters are dramatically gaining popularity. Please, consider their progression. I'm counting on you.**_

_**Thank you,**_

_**Ken**_

Nozaki stares wide eye as he clicks link after link of the websites Ken-san had presented him. Is his amazing editor giving him a clue? Does he want Nozaki to dedicate more chapters to…_them? _"No. No…NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He clutches his head like it's about to explode and collapses on his knees. This is bad. The characters he modeled after Seo and Wakamatsu is spinning out of control. Next thing he knows, he might need to make a spin-off out of them just to please Yumeno-sensei's diehard fans. The very thought of it leaves a bad taste in his mouth. However, he cannot disappoint his marvelous editor.

Rising to his feet, Nozaki is determined to see this through to the very end. "Reconnaissance is a good idea." Tomorrow, he will need to record details about the two. They will not escape him. He will take matters in his own hands if he must.

There will be romance…

There will be passion…

There will be…be…

Oh who is he kidding? Considering nothing relevant ever happens between them, his research materials will probably fail him anyways.

…

_The next day…_

"Morning, Wakamatsu." Nozaki calls out to Wakamatsu Hirotaka. "Nozaki-senpai! Good morning." Nozaki matches strides with Hirotaka and casually strikes a conversation with his kouhai as they walk towards their school. "Oh I see. So that's what happened." Wakamatsu smiles and laughs at whatever his senpai says. "Wakamatsu, will you be able to help me out with my manga this afternoon?" Wakamatsu notifies his senpai that he is unable to because the coach needs his basketball team to stay a little later for practice. There's a game happening three weeks from now and the coach doesn't want his boys to slack off.

"I'm sorry about this, Senpai. I'll make it up to you." Nozaki quickly brushes him off, responding that it is not necessary. "Will Seo be there?" At the mere mention of Seo, a gloomy dark cloud suddenly looms over his younger friend. "Unfortunately, Senpai. Seo-senpai was warned by our coach that if she were to stay, she would need to act accordingly. Like that's going to happen. She's not going to give us a break." An idea pops in the manga artist's head. Perhaps the basketball practice will provide ample inspiration for his characters. "Wakamatsu, I'll cheer you on. See you this afternoon." Nozaki pats his friend on the back and quickens his pace, deserting the very confuse young man.

"Sen…pai?" Cheer him on? Why does Nozaki-senpai need to cheer him on?

School flies by and next thing you know it's over for the day. Nozaki enters the gymnasium. It reeks of sweat, with a hint of stale bread and blood. The blood is probably from the victims of Seo Yuzuki. "Nozaki-senpai, you really came?" Wakamatsu amicably greets his upperclassmen and whispers to him that he should go sit on the bench if he's hanging out in the gym. "Coach is particularly in a bad mood right now so he might run his mouth and yell at you if he thinks you're distracting us." Nodding quietly, Nozaki plops himself on the cold wooden bleachers and extracts his black notebook from his bag. "Where could Seo be?" For once, he is frustrated by her absence. How can he document anything without the other half of the equation?

"Yo, lolicon!" Joy overtakes him as Seo Yuzuki nonchalantly walks towards him. Internally, Nozaki smiles triumphantly. Then, it shatters into a frown. Most likely nothing will happen but this is Seo he is talking about. She is unpredictable like Mother Nature. There can be a storm one day and then calm blue skies the next. Wakamatsu's reaction to her antics is bound to provide something for his manga.

"Seo, I'm surprised that you're not joining them." Yuzuki coolly sits on the bleachers and crosses her legs. She is still wearing her gym uniform even though she isn't involved in the basketball team's activities. "Ehhh…that's cuz the coach yelled at me about something or rather something about something." Nozaki blankly stares at the brunette. So in other words, she wasn't listening.

"All I know is that I can't play with Waka like usual." A pout forms on her face. This saddens her. _Interesting._ So the lack of physical contact with the desired object leaves her wanting for more. At least, that's how he can interpret her sullen mood. He can never tell what she's thinking about. "Seo, when has anything stopped you?" Figuratively, Nozaki begins fueling the fire, dousing her with gasoline one pint at a time. "If you long to play with Wakamatsu, you should just do it." Seo curiously eyes him and then switches her attention to Waka. She doesn't want Waka to get into trouble but she craves the sound of the ball when it hits her kouhai's head.

"Ya know. You're a bad influence. I don't think I like Chiyo around you anymore." Shock crosses his calm exterior. She, of all people, doesn't have the right to say that to him. Nozaki sighs. His prodding isn't work and in fact the great KY sees right through it.

The two rakes their eyes over to the middle of the court when the coach begins to dictate what his boys should do for their warm up. "Wakamatsu, Tanaka, and Yamamura. Give me 30 pull-ups. Let's start with that! When they're done, the rest will follow. Understand?"

"WOOOO! Destroy that thing, Waka." Seo shouts out from the bleachers. Her unexpected holler brings a blush on Wakamatsu's face. Nozaki watches with astonishment as the girl encourages their kouhai. "Seo, obviously you can go home. Why haven't you?" She furrows her eyebrows in annoyance. Why is everyone telling her to go home? "I'm here to offer morale support to Waka."

"Seo…you do care."

"Besides if I wasn't here, Waka would be lonely. He would have a hard time concentrating." Confidence stains her tone. "Waka is also coming to dinner later so I'm just waiting." Dinner? Another brilliant idea bursts through his head. This is his chance to hear her side since he always listens from Wakamatsu's point of view. "Perhaps, you could tell me about your dinner?"

"Heh? Sorry, Nozaki. I ain't interested. Flattered though." What goes through this woman's head? "Don't be! I'm not asking you out, Seo! I'm merely asking if you can describe the details of your dinner to me tomorrow. Would that be too much to ask?" Yuzuki sees nothing wrong with his question so she agrees.

"Boys, I must take an important call." The coach focuses on his phone. The missus called him eight times and he missed all of them. She better not call the police again. "I will be right back. Do your exercises!" Seo's ears perk up. The grouchy coach is leaving. Wasting no time, she runs to Wakamatsu.

"Oi, Waka! Lookin' good, son." Waka tries to shoo his senpai away but she isn't taking the hint. "Seo-senpai, don't you dare pull down my shorts!" A mischievous smirk appears on her lips. "Waka, I'd never do that." Ignoring her is proving difficult when she keeps poking his knee. Now, Wakamatsu lost count of how many pull-ups he has done. "Senpai, please go away." He tries to be as polite as possible. "Fine, Waka." He blinks. His senpai gave up too easily. Suspicion claws at him. She's up to no good. He just knows it.

Out of the blue, his body grows more cumbersome, like there's a huge tumor on his back. Slender arms circle themselves around his neck. "Seo-senpai! Get off!" He can feel Seo riding him from behind. She flails around, swinging their bodies in an awkward fashion. Wakamatsu's arm tremble. "Wow Waka, you're pretty strong." The sweat of his palms is making his grip on the metal bar a bit slippery. "Senpai, if you don't jump down, I'll—" For a split second, time stops. His hands slip and he realizes he's about to fall backwards. Even though this is all her fault, he doesn't want to crush her beneath his weight. Without a moment's notice, Wakamatsu pulls his Senpai forward with all his might so that he can cushion the fall for the both of them. Mind you, the fall isn't far down or anything but that doesn't mean he'll let his senpai get injured in any way.

Waka grunts and they fall down with a small thud. "Seo-senpai, that was unsafe! Please, examine your thoughts first before executing them." Waka opens his eyes and finds Seo dangerously close to his face. Her entire body is completely on top of his. "Senpai, are you all right?" She leans in until their noses touches.

"Seo-san, Wakamatsu. Get a room!" His basketball team snickers to themselves as they observe the fumbling duo perform their play. They knew it. The two are dating after all. Wakamatsu can feel his ears warm up.

"Waka…"

"Y-yes?" He sputters out.

"You only did 29." What does she mean by that?

"Pull-ups, Waka. You only did 29. Gotta do one more, kid." She's keeping count?

His heartbeat is beating fast. Faster than what he's used to that he's afraid she'll be conscious of it. He gulps. Strange thing is, he doesn't mind their close proximity. It's actually quite pleasing. Wakamatsu mentally kicks himself and empties out his mind of anything Seo related. This is Seo Yuzuki he is speaking about. Nothing is pleasing about her.

"Seo! Wakamatsu! Stop fooling around!" The coach huffs in unannounced and stomps his way back to his team. "I swear, I turn around for a second and this happens. Wakamatsu, if you're done, take a breather and Seo, go home!"

Seo sneers and helps Waka up to his feet. "You should take a break, Waka." The pair rests on the bleachers while the dumbfounded mangaka peers at them with interest. So much action is happening today! The chapter is practically writing itself.

"Nozaki-senpai, is something the matter?" asks Waka when he notices Nozaki eyeballing him. "Nothing, Wakamatsu." His upperclassman starts writing on his notebook. Waka shrugs and rubs his neck. His shoulders and neck are stiff. "Waka, your neck hurts? I can massage it for ya." Waka freezes. Is she going to strangle him? He declines but as always she doesn't take heed to his wishes.

Her small hand caresses the sore spot on the back of his neck. Unable to control his body, his eyelids becomes heavier and heavier until it finally shuts. A satisfied grin visits his lips. _That's nice. _The pressure she is placing on his neck is surprisingly light and tender. A soft groan escapes his mouth. Wakamatsu is in a plane of bliss.

Seo studies Waka and smugly smiles. This is no good. She can't get a better angle to massage his shoulders. A solution manifests itself when she peeps down at his lap. Nozaki gapes. She props herself on Wakamatsu and moves down to his shoulders. This is a much better and comfortable angle to work on. "Seo…Wakamatsu." Can he put something like this in his shoujo manga? He'll record anyways, for future installments.

Waka peels his eyes open when he becomes aware of a sudden weight change on his thighs. Once again, his senpai is invading his personal space. He recoils backwards. The force of his tumble sends Yuzuki down along with him. His head hit the top of the bleachers but the ringing from the impact isn't enough for him to miss what just transpire between them for a second. For a brief moment, their lips touch. A feathery touch so nonexistent that he is sure he simply imagined it. Wakamatsu slams his hand on his mouth and turns bright crimson.

"Oi Oi, Waka. You're very clumsy today." The routine deadpan expression is present on her face.

"That's not my fault, Senpai!"

Nozaki's eyes never blink as he scribbles down every bit of information he can muster. _Keep going. _Noticing how maniacally Nozaki is scribbling down on his book, Seo makes an attempt to steal his writing tools. "Lolicon, whatcha writin' there, huh? Been doin' that for quite sometime now." Nozaki fails to regard Seo's rare acts of perception. How should he answer her? Before the manga artist can answer, the coach yells at the pair again.

"Seo and Wakamatsu! Do I have to separate you two? My gods, teenagers these days. Do you two have no decorum whatsoever?" Seo scratches her ears. The old man is too loud.

"Wakamatsu, get over here!" She removes herself from Waka and allows him to return to his team. Nozaki examines the girl's expression but finds no indication that she acknowledged hers and Wakamatsu's accidental "kiss." She gasps. He swiftly turns to her. Can it be? Can it be a delayed reaction on her part? The notion is to be expected from Seo after all. As long as she realizes it then it shouldn't matter.

"Waka…" She rises to her feet and gazes fondly at her kouhai.

"He only did 29. What should I do?" Nozaki claps his book shut. It seems he is done here.

After warm up, the team initiates a mock battle between the blue and green jerseys. Waka is among the blue jerseys. From the sidelines, Nozaki and Seo are clearly disregarding the friendly match. To pass the time, they got into a heated argument, which B-movie is the best one, and so far, Nozaki is losing the fight. Nozaki glares at Seo while she laughs at whatever nonsense he is spouting out. Wakamatsu takes a gander at both his senpai and they seem relax with each other. Seo even playfully slaps Nozaki's shoulder, causing him to topple over his seat. Since when are his upperclassmen chummy with one another? Waka frowns. Not that it matters to him but there's a slight twinge in his stomach.

"Wakamatsu!" The basketball hits his temple. "Pay attention, man!"

"Yeah, my bad!" Why don't they just go home already!

After practice, Waka's mood turns fouler than before. "Oi Waka, good work today." His Seo-senpai creeps up from behind and tackles him. Her rather aggressive behavior would have irritated him on normal days but today it consoled him for some reason. Whatever he was mad about earlier, his anger dissipated when Seo brought him down for a headlock. "So let's head to dinner." He should have known that she would make that decision on her own. Despite that, he doesn't refuse. He is famished.

"Goodbye Nozaki-senpai."

"See ya, lolicon."

Nozaki watches the pair saunter out of the school grounds and sheds a single tear. "My chapter is complete."

…

_The following morning…_

"Hey, Nozaki!" Sakura and Nozaki swivels their head to the sound of Seo's voice. "Good morning, Yuzuki." Chiyo waves at her friend. "Morning, Chiyo. Anyways, Nozaki. You wanted to know about my dinner with Waka, right?" Nozaki hastily takes out his notebook. He can't believe she remembers. Perhaps Seo isn't a severe KY as he thought.

"Well you see, I ordered this beef thing. It had noodles and some strings beans. Waka ordered something with rice. I think he had chicken and some orange sauce of some kind. It tasted pretty good. For dessert, we couldn't decide so we ordered…" She trailed on; enthusiastically outlining every food Waka and she ate last night. Nozaki claps his book shut and simply listens while Sakura wonders why Yuzuki is telling Nozaki-kun what she had for dinner yesterday.

...

**It's an understatement when I say I am absolutely obsessed with Waka x Seo. They are hilarious. **

**Also, in the anime Sawashiro just makes Seo so badass. As expected of her.**

**Well, anyways I hope somebody enjoyed this. I know I had fun writing it. **

**Have a nice day!**


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